New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-03-07
AN INCIDENT IN pARKERs CAREER
THE CLAIM AGENT AS A PRODUCE BUYER.

sWryDIING MANY COUNTRY MERCHANTS-sENI ~
PRISON on MINOR CHARGE.
The arrest OF George r. Parker, president and genera
manager Of the "British- American Claim Agency
brings up interesting incident In his career winch 'e
shifted I'm his going to Sing Singh 1877 term OF three
years Parker is a large ine.lookins man, WIN snow
white hair and an imposing musacho Although In 1877
his hair was not white he as thoh us
pow and his face rudy. He then had rs now an Gu
gaf ing manner, a soft, insidous voice. and general
makeup calculated to impress average humanity WIN
extreme confidence I'm George +. Parker
Early in 1876 Parker associated with himself one Nep
tune Bowden. who Familiarity known about town rs
"Nep" Bowden and the two formed the firm oil George
F. Parker & Co.. and went into the produce commission
business They got up an imposing list OF prices current
prepared n list OF country merchants with their ad-
dresses and then sent their prices current 10 the Gus
toners they proposed to "take in The prices onereo
for country produce ran an average one cent scr
than those OF other commission merchants The
country merchants would pa ng = ,r CO. could
underbid others Soon would como lithoeraPn et,r
explaining that Parker CO. pah Gasn anu Than their
competitors The country merchant was inVcu Va so
his loose apples eggs butter CHEESE o Parker
Co. at ten days Lest there should oe any cn" 70
b conntry merchant was invited to inquire of certain
man--nane given-a the Bank OF the hePupho' '"'o"
Square. u. % 10 oo-to,n that he had a sure thing
would write telegraph 10 the man mehtohen, p
letter or telegram would be az nrst H a. Of Inc
part he made TO play would say Mp 90 .iny on
on the floor above" for Parker x Co nave smPp un
gaced room for their accomplish in the building ana
the letters and tee4 rams found thcir WY ~ 30
Naturally the merchant got word back tlat farhei "
were perfectly good. ,old
The produce would then be sold. and immediatey STU
by a man named Hcrfick The draft would OF course DC
dshonored the merchant would write To Parser ~ No.
know what meant four or I'VE days wonid bcn
fore nm answer would he made Parker &Co woulh men
write that mistake had been made that they hau n'P
pcned 10 overdraw their account that day ana tna
HE merchant should again draw at ten days The same
thing would be repeated Then inc arouseu Wr,'ris
would come to New York he would can at MI 20
He had last gone Washington. hut would ne Dach tc
nextday Would the caller leave his name ana c,li tnc
next dayl Yes Then the merchant woulddepartn
ing that he had been talking to Parker me ieA,
OF course. Mr. Parker had been ill., but ne ad Oeeh
suddenly to philadelphia In this way delay was gT't ,
until avalanche or such experiences uis'io'ou '''
One man thus g taken in " n 1t Lawrence County
merchant. Fryer Tuck. since an ASsemnlynau ne OK
Dereuce LEI the INTO Parker co.'s Sc
cret Ii difficult to get AZ Parker under lno law,
ne had not got goods under false preiences teehhc "
least He was UNEXPECTEDLY caught up lie htl gOl Is
from n In Maiden Lane, ana he had secured sun
from a shrt-makcr KnoNs hat store; these Nclo
sent 10 him {. o. d. lie got them from the messenger
and did pay. For this he was tried on INC ..ar,S
pctif larceny and sentenced by Recorder liacEeu 10
years in the state Prison Thfough inc Iony VI "a,
Parker was put In the shirt room When Imho' ~
arrested he dragged from under pea IN W" I,
Jersey 10y Detectives Field and Connor bo"Ien "" va
Parkcrs bail swearing that he owned property az ~ %
CreenWch-st worth $4,000. Subsequently ne was con
vicied of perjury but got new trial on the cl,u ia.
was drunk when he sirncd the bond Charles w BROOKE
appeared for Bowdcn The people were rcpfcseh'el ~
eA-Judgo Horace Russell, then Assistant Dis1i'0''''
ncy. 800 ~, MI. .,a,oI IN ~
lanes Forrest brakeman Of that place hhd lcaihe
through Parker that $1,000 was awaiting IN f.' t"o
pnt the claim IN the hands OF Parker "lo s.Hu th "o
would 20 abroad IN April 10 collect H.